The Mothman
A creature of American myth and folklore, believed by many to be a harbinger of great doom. Many people worldwide scoff at this legend, and even ridicule. And that's fine. That's just...fine. Background In London of the 1930's, child abuse of any kind was unspeakable. Nobody spoke of it. In civilized British society, things like injury and sexual perversions inflicted on a child simply didn't happen. People back then weren't as vocal and outspoken on such topics as they are now. If they had been, perhaps Chester Mayfield would have had a chance. He was born only because his parents had been instructed by Ramzad, their high priest in the Apostates of Gash, that he must be. All throughout his first ten years of life Chester was subjected to abuses and horrors of a nature that would make Caligula blush, only so that his parents could readily demonstrate--repeatedly--that they had shed their humanity in order to serve their dark outer masters. By the time Chester was ten years old he was so scarred and traumatized that he only superficially resembled anything human. His only escape from his day to day horrors was to retreat deep into his imagination. He named this particular 'happy place' Pillory, a world of grotesque and monstrous abominations that were his friends, and demented tortures the likes of which defy the imagination. Chester spent nearly every hour of every day there. So much so that the universe, as if trying to apologize for the wrongs it had committed to the boy, made Pillory a real place to which Chester immediately entered. On the summer Solstice of 1941 his parents went into the bedroom crawlspace under the stairs searching for him, they never came out again. Chester stayed put in Pillory for the next two years, letting his friends have playtime with the screaming piles of flesh that had once been his parents as he pilfered the Mayfield library for books. He read voraciously, absorbing all of the information on black magic and The Gash that he could and ultimately putting what her learned into practice. He emerged once more in the summer Solstice of 1943 to attend the Apostate of the Gash's church celebration, and left all eighteen members twisting in their own disemboweled organs and ruptured blood vessels. The sole survivor a girl of 12, was found there by the authorities and would only whisper "The mothman. The Mothman." Mayfield soon learned that he could point the exit from Pillory anywhere he liked so he traveled the world extensively, taking up a hobby of collecting magic artifacts--black or otherwise--, books, and theorems which he studied and learned from. He collected tools and implements, developed a fondness for gourmet foods and dancing, and spent much of his young adult life away from Pillory in pursuit of these pleasures. But he was never idle for too long in his revenge upon the world and his desire to spread as much suffering as possible. In 1956 he caused the immolation and destruction of an apartment building, resulting in 32 deaths. Later that same year he was responsible for the simultaneous destruction of 12 hospitals, resulting in 137 deaths. The year following saw him attack a ballroom full of revelers for Guy Fawkes Night and the deaths of 25. At this last event he was photographed, and his likeness became to form the basis of a myth. He was a new super-villain (whatever that was)! He was a demon! He was an alien! He was a vengeful ghost! Whatever they called him, he relished and delighted in it and his new moniker: The Mothman. His greatest public triumph, however, came in 1967 in West Virginia, where he appeared on the top of the Point Pleasant Silver Bridge and was seen by over 200 people, and photographed by half that number. He then caused the Bridge to collapse, killing 64. Since that time he, The Mothman, has joined the annuls of American folklore as a harbinger of doom and death. Sometimes he steps out and plays the role just to inflate his own ego and see how much damage he can do. Otherwise, he contents himself scouring the world for magic items and procuring them, even if their current owner happens to be a super-human. Appearance & Personality When not playing the role of The Mothman, Chester Mayfield appears as a six foot tall rather dapper and handsome fellow of about 45 (even though he's really 89), with salt-and-pepper hair, a meticulously groomed Van Dyke, and an always immaculate three piece suit in grey or black. He speaks with a posh British accent and can be very charming and persuasive. The Mothman is a black magician fueled by such iniquitous hate and rage for the world that it runs through his blood like ink. He hasn't forgiven the powers that be for his insufferable childhood and wants every single individual on Earth to know his pain, to share it, to drown in it. He never comes across as filled with such hostility and malice at first, however. As mentioned previously he can be quite charming and seductive, and is content to corrupt his target with such wiles if it gets him what he wants. A lover of the finer things in life, The Mothman often appears on Earth for the simple pleasures of dining at a five star restaurant, driving the newest expensive sports car, or to attend social functions. As Paradigm City is the West Coast hub for such things it's entirely possible that might be stumbled across by pure chance. As Mothman proper, he generally appears as an animate suit wearing white gloves featuring a swarm of clustered death's head moths and black butterflies where a head should be. Alternately, he can appear as a black, shaggy 'shadow' of some seven feet with glowing red eyes and moth-like wings measuring a ten foot long wingspan where his arms should be. The form he takes entirely depends on which one of the two would cause more fright for witnesses. Skills & Talents Chester Mayfield is an authority on black magic spells, rites, and rituals from the United Kingdom and the United States. He has a detailed working knowledge of demonology and American folklore. Where his existence to be known to the public he would be THE leading authority on the demon worshiping back magic cult called The Apostates of Gash which operate in London, Bristol, and Liverpool. The Mothman is a superlative gourmet chef, sommelier, and ballroom dancer. Powers Chester Mayfield is hands down the most powerful thaumaturge in the history of Pillory. Of course, he is the only thaumaturge in the history of Pillory but is inarguably one of the finest practitioners of this forbidden style of magic in the United States. Thaumaturgy is a school of magic that focuses entirely on and effects only the human body. Bones and joints, ligaments and muscles, blood and organs all become susceptible to the Mothman's manipulations. With simple gestures he can shatter bones, rupture internal organs, rip muscle tissues right off of the bone, and rob his victim of all five senses. He doesn't always have to be so extreme, however, he can also inflict painful cramps, migraine headaches, and spontaneous vomiting. By locking the muscles and then forcing them to move as he desires, he can send his victim slithering and bumping about like a puppet on a string or freeze then place. With his use of thaumaturgy he can alter his physical appearance at will and keep himself immune to diseases and toxins. He can (and does) consistently replenish is own systems and eliminate fatigue poisons and aging symptoms, keeping him as young as he desires to appear. Theoretically, he could live forever. In addition, The Mothman is also a master of the school of transmutation, changing one form of matter into another effortlessly. Handcuffs dissolve, structure bracers and support cables become as thin and supple as paper, lethal bullets transform into harmless sponge balls, and so on. Power-wise the Mothman doesn't look very formidable but those whom underestimate very quickly learn how formidable he really is. Quote "That's just fine. Just...fine."